Today was the first official Spring practice and intrasquad (cut short by the rain), with opening day vs. Notre Dame at the Reck just 3 weeks away.

Smith and McCracken looked good, but both struggled a bit with control, especially during their first of two innings pitched. Stratton in his one inning before the deluge was consistently in the 95 - 96 range on his fastball. He struck out a couple, but was hit pretty hard otherwise. Could it be a flat FB?

Defense does look vastly improved. Garibay has moved to first base, and made a couple really nice plays, as did Reidel and Gallo. Cummings made a diving grab in the OF. And both of our grad transfer OFers, Cummings (Penn) and McDonald (Wichita State), homered.

For those who did not attend the RBI Club First Pitch dinner on Thursday evening, we had a standing room only crowd and a really fun evening. Cheito talked about the vastly improved defense and overall team speed, and discussed his Summer meeting in Nashville with Coach Corbin of Vandy. Unbeknownst to Jose at the time, Corbin remembered playing at Rice against Cheito's Rice team in 1994 when he was a player at Clemson. Corbin also chuckled how things have come full cycle over the past 20 years. When he was named head coach at Vandy in the early oo's, he came to Rice to spend time with The OG, and has frequently stated publicly that he built the Vandy program modeled after what Wayne had done at Rice. Now Jose is spending time with Corbin at Vandy to get some insights on how to rebuild the Rice program emulating what Corbin has done over the past decade at Vandy. BTW, apparently at the coaches convention a couple months ago Rice was called out as the #1 program with regards to use of advanced technology. No, it hasn't paid dividends yet, but it should over time. Jose also mentioned that in an effort to make the team more physical the players took part in a 2-month training and conditioning program once Fall intrasquads ended. For those of us in attendance the highlight of the night was a panel discussion of former Rice players moderated by Jimmy Baseball. The panel consisted of Danny Lehmann, Tyler Henley, Matt Canterino, Trei Cruz and Roel Garcia. Some great and hilarious stories of old were told.

At our ARA Board meeting last weekend we did a tour of the pitching lab. Joe Savery pulled up his sleeves and threw a few pitches.

(01-26-2024 08:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Today was the first official Spring practice and intrasquad (cut short by the rain), with opening day vs. Notre Dame at the Reck just 3 weeks away.

Smith and McCracken looked good, but both struggled a bit with control, especially during their first of two innings pitched. Stratton in his one inning before the deluge was consistently in the 95 - 96 range on his fastball. He struck out a couple, but was hit pretty hard otherwise. Could it be a flat FB?

Defense does look vastly improved. Garibay has moved to first base, and made a couple really nice plays, as did Reidel and Gallo. Cummings made a diving grab in the OF. And both of our grad transfer OFers, Cummings (Penn) and McDonald (Wichita State), homered.

For those who did not attend the RBI Club First Pitch dinner on Thursday evening, we had a standing room only crowd and a really fun evening. Cheito talked about the vastly improved defense and overall team speed, and discussed his Summer meeting in Nashville with Coach Corbin of Vandy. Unbeknownst to Jose at the time, Corbin remembered playing at Rice against Cheito's Rice team in 1994 when he was a player at Clemson. Corbin also chuckled how things have come full cycle over the past 20 years. When he was named head coach at Vandy in the early oo's, he came to Rice to spend time with The OG, and has frequently stated publicly that he build the Vandy program modeled after what Wayne had done at Rice. Now Jose is spending time with Corbin at Vandy to get some insights on how to rebuild the Rice program emulating what Corbin has done over the past decade at Vandy. BTW, apparently at the coaches convention a couple months ago Rice was called out as the #1 program with regards to use of advanced technology. No, it hasn't paid dividends yet, but it should over time. Jose also mentioned that in an effort to make the team more physical the players took part in a 2-month training and conditioning program once Fall intrasquads ended. For those of us in attendance the highlight of the night was a panel discussion of former Rice players moderated by Jimmy Baseball. The panel consisted of Danny Lehmann, Tyler Henley, Matt Canterino, Trei Cruz and Roel Garcia. Some great and hilarious story of old were told.

I don’t know who told you that Corbin story but it’s not quite correct. I looked it up just to make sure because I don’t remember all the details myself.

But first off, Corbin didn’t play at Rice or vs. Cruz. He’s about 13 years older than Jose. He was an assistant coach on the 1994 Clemson team which played Rice (twice) in a tournament out in Las Vegas. I was the SID on that trip for Rice, and I do remember Cheito having a good tournament, and also that Clemson team was really good (Kris Benson and Billy Koch were the pitching stars, and Shane Monahan their best hitter).

It looks like Corbin played at Presbyterian.

(01-26-2024 09:54 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(01-26-2024 08:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Today was the first official Spring practice and intrasquad (cut short by the rain), with opening day vs. Notre Dame at the Reck just 3 weeks away.

Smith and McCracken looked good, but both struggled a bit with control, especially during their first of two innings pitched. Stratton in his one inning before the deluge was consistently in the 95 - 96 range on his fastball. He struck out a couple, but was hit pretty hard otherwise. Could it be a flat FB?

Defense does look vastly improved. Garibay has moved to first base, and made a couple really nice plays, as did Reidel and Gallo. Cummings made a diving grab in the OF. And both of our grad transfer OFers, Cummings (Penn) and McDonald (Wichita State), homered.

For those who did not attend the RBI Club First Pitch dinner on Thursday evening, we had a standing room only crowd and a really fun evening. Cheito talked about the vastly improved defense and overall team speed, and discussed his Summer meeting in Nashville with Coach Corbin of Vandy. Unbeknownst to Jose at the time, Corbin remembered playing at Rice against Cheito's Rice team in 1994 when he was a player at Clemson. Corbin also chuckled how things have come full cycle over the past 20 years. When he was named head coach at Vandy in the early oo's, he came to Rice to spend time with The OG, and has frequently stated publicly that he build the Vandy program modeled after what Wayne had done at Rice. Now Jose is spending time with Corbin at Vandy to get some insights on how to rebuild the Rice program emulating what Corbin has done over the past decade at Vandy. BTW, apparently at the coaches convention a couple months ago Rice was called out as the #1 program with regards to use of advanced technology. No, it hasn't paid dividends yet, but it should over time. Jose also mentioned that in an effort to make the team more physical the players took part in a 2-month training and conditioning program once Fall intrasquads ended. For those of us in attendance the highlight of the night was a panel discussion of former Rice players moderated by Jimmy Baseball. The panel consisted of Danny Lehmann, Tyler Henley, Matt Canterino, Trei Cruz and Roel Garcia. Some great and hilarious story of old were told.

I don’t know who told you that Corbin story but it’s not quite correct. I looked it up just to make sure because I don’t remember all the details myself.

But first off, Corbin didn’t play at Rice or vs. Cruz. He’s about 13 years older than Jose. He was an assistant coach on the 1994 Clemson team which played Rice (twice) in a tournament out in Las Vegas. I was the SID on that trip for Rice, and I do remember Cheito having a good tournament, and also that Clemson team was really good (Kris Benson and Billy Koch were the pitching stars, and Shane Monahan their best hitter).

It looks like Corbin played at Presbyterian.

Thanks for the clarification. My error as I must have misheard Jose when he mentioned that part of the story.

(01-26-2024 08:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Jose also mentioned that in an effort to make the team more physical the players took part in a 2-month training and conditioning program once Fall intrasquads ended.

Navy SEAL training?

Fact check:

“Corbin remembered playing at Rice against Cruz in 97” could be grammatically and factually correct even if Corbin’s role at the time was that of assistant coach rather than player. It could even be correct regardless of his specific affiliation with the Clemson team at the time, e,g. even a Clemson fan could remember “playing Rice”.

Now, as for the neutral site detail, Clemson was “on the road”, maybe close enough. And if the Owls batted second in that game… we’ll have to allow it!

(01-28-2024 06:48 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  Fact check:

“Corbin remembered playing at Rice against Cruz in 97” could be grammatically and factually correct even if Corbin’s role at the time was that of assistant coach rather than player. It could even be correct regardless of his specific affiliation with the Clemson team at the time, e,g. even a Clemson fan could remember “playing Rice”.

Now, as for the neutral site detail, Clemson was “on the road”, maybe close enough. And if the Owls batted second in that game… we’ll have to allow it!

Fact check of your fact check - 94, not 97. 1994 was Cruz’s sophomore year. I seem to remember we were close to being a regional team but didn’t break thru until the following season when Cruz was a junior and the number three overall pick in the draft.

Cruz, Helton and Erstad were the big three college stars - maybe there were some others too but those were the ones I remember. Helton just got inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I don’t know, it seems like his career wasn’t that much better than Berkman (and his stats were helped by playing in Colorado the whole time). Helton was much better in defense for sure.

I see Micah Davis is still not pitching intrasquads as he continues to recover from last years TJS. However, what's the deal with Urbanczyk's absence? I was impressed with his performance last year and was counting on him being either the Sunday or mid-week starter.

D1baseball certainly doesn't think much of Rice's prospects for this year. They picked us to finish next to last; ahead of only UAB. Having said that they are spot on in saying the pitching staff is one HUGE question mark after Parker Smith and McCracken.

They do have Smith as the second best 2024 draft prospect in the conference

Here's the link for those who subscribe...
https://d1baseball.com/season-preview/20...n-preview/

Quote:STRENGTHS
Rice’s lineup stands out for its excellent team speed, which should also translate to a strong defense. And the Owls have a legitimate frontline ace anchoring the rotation in junior righty Parker Smith.

QUESTION MARKS
The Owls were an anemic offensive club a year ago, and now they must replace their leading hitter and one of their top power threats in CF Connor Walsh. The running game gives the Rice offense a different dimension to put pressure on opponents, but the question about offensive firepower lingers. And the pitching staff has a lot to prove once you get past Smith — and even more after No. 2 starter J.D. McCracken, a battle-tested veteran who made 13 starts (and went 1-5, 5.65) last year.

STAR POWER
Smith is one of the top pitchers in the conference, coming off a strong sophomore campaign during which he posted a 3.58 ERA with 82 strikeouts against 23 walks in 88 innings over 15 starts. Built like a true workhose at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Smith attacks the zone with a lively 90-93 sinker and a swing-and-miss slider at 80-83, as well as a quality changeup with good arm speed and deception. Ben Royo is Rice’s best position player, a reliable shortstop who posted a solid 3.0 defensive runs saved last year while also leading the team with 13 homers. If he can improve his pitch selection a bit, he could be in store for a huge sophomore campaign.

GLUE GUY
And junior catcher Manny Garza is the glue guy for the defense — he’s a stellar defender who posted 11 defensive runs saved last year. He’s also a switch-hitter with solid contact skills offensively, as evidenced by his .282/.364/.372 slash line with just 23 strikeouts in 210 at-bats.

PICK TO CLICK
RHP Davion Hickson was a notable recruit for Florida State in 2022, but he made just one appearance for the Seminoles as a freshman before transferring to Rice. A live athlete with a physical 6-2, 205-pound frame, Hickson has a fast arm that can generate mid-90s heat, and he flashes a swing-and-miss slider as well. His talent is undeniable, and the Owls need him to harness it this spring.

TOP NEWCOMER
Kyte McDonald transferred in from Wichita State last summer and wasted no time establishing himself as a team leader in fall ball. McDonald started his career at Mississippi State before transferring to Wichita, and he has improved steadily throughout his career, hitting .313/.395/.463 with 12 doubles and 21 stolen bases last year for the Shockers. His speed is his best asset, and it plays well in center field.

2024 OUTLOOK
It’s been a long time since Rice has been relevant, as the Owls haven’t made a regional since 2017 — which was also the last time the Owls posted a winning record. There isn’t much hope that Rice will snap either one of those streaks in 2024, but the coaching staff hopes its speed-and-defense and its star power at the front of the rotation can lead to a more competitive showing in its AAC debut.

Parker Smith looked in form in his final appearance before next Friday's opening night, but he was only stretched to 4 innings (0 runs, 2 hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks). McCracken was also solid in his 4 innings of work. However, that means the first several weeks of games will be decided by our inexperienced and unproven bullpen.

At this point, I think the only two lineup slot still questionable are DH and the 3rd OFer...

C Garza
1B Garibay
2B Gallo
SS Royo
3B Reidel
OF Cummings, McDonald

Becker has had a very good Spring, so I suspect he'll be our left-handed platoon at DH. I think the offense will be much better than the past few season, and will run a lot more, but the question is whether the pitching staff can hold the opposition under 5 runs per game and, at this point, I'm quite skeptical of that. Loved to be proven wrong.

On the mound, outside of Smith on Friday and McCracken on Saturday, the pitcher staff is one big question mark. Stratton has been given every opportunity to step into the weekend rotation, but was once again hit very hard yesterday. I think both Hamilton and Hickson (the FSU transfer) are competing for the Sunday and mid-week starter spots. Urbanczyk is finally scheduled to see his first action of the Spring on Sunday, but it's unlikely he'll be ready to see game action for at least a couple weeks. My guess is that we're likely to see "all staff" and a parade of pitchers (each throwing 1 - 2 innings) for Sunday and mid-week games unless and until someone steps up a demonstrates they can give us 4 - 6 quality innings. Hard to paint that as a recipe for success.

Would love to hear how other people see it.

I just don't understand the logic in not stretching our our starting pitching, particularly given our highly questionable bullpen. Smith and McCracken will be entering opening weekend having maxed out at only 4 innings. Compare that to Wake Forest, Vandy, LSU, UT and others where their top pitchers went 5 or 6 innings in their final outing of the preseason. Last year, with our ridiculously bad bullpen, McCracken was never allowed to start the 5th inning until the final month of the season. If we're to have any shot this season I would think we need Smith and McCracken to be workhorses, going a minimum of 5 innings, and more often 6+ innings on a regular basis.

On my version of the Houston Chronicle on-line version today, the bottom of Page 1 full-width ad is for the Rice versus Notre Dame baseball opener. That ad on Sunday must have cost some money, unless the Chronicle is using cookies to tailor that ad space to individual subscribers.

We look we have spent some serious money on Reckling Park upgrades. There are lots of workers out there fixing lights, upgrading the scoreboard, cleaning the facility, replacing sod, etc.

(02-11-2024 10:06 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  We look we have spent some serious money on Reckling Park upgrades. There are lots of workers out there fixing lights, upgrading the scoreboard, cleaning the facility, replacing sod, etc.

Yes, the new, brighter lights are a major upgrade.

(02-11-2024 10:06 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  We look we have spent some serious money on Reckling Park upgrades. There are lots of workers out there fixing lights, upgrading the scoreboard, cleaning the facility, replacing sod, etc.

Replacing sod? I assume you mean outside the stadium.

Yes, the berm in the outfield stands. And some grass around the edges as you walk into the stadium.

Any word on the pitching today?

(02-11-2024 05:51 PM)ausowl Wrote:  Any word on the pitching today?

Awaiting Roger's update. He was at the basketball games yesterday, so we got no update on yesterday's action. Today is the bullpen audition scrimmage.

All this is really a bit depressing --- looks like we have a really talented team that's going nowhere because no pitching. I'm afraid that's the sort of thing that would lead a Royo to transfer.

(02-12-2024 04:15 PM)Barney Wrote:  All this is really a bit depressing --- looks like we have a really talented team that's going nowhere because no pitching. I'm afraid that's the sort of thing that would lead a Royo to transfer.

Let's first see Royo build on his Freshman season by hitting for a better average and cutting down on the strikeouts. And I wouldn't say we have no pitching. We have a legitimate ace in Parker Smith and another solid weekend starter in McCracken. We need several of the other inexperienced or unproven guys to step up